An opening date for the campus food court and an explanation for the non-functioning emergency blue phones were given at the Pierce College Council (PCC) meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Larry Kraus, associate vice president of Administrative Services, spoke on how the food court on campus is not yet open for student use and announced that there will be a “soft opening” on Monday, Mar. 17.
“We are not going to do any advertisements for it, we are just going to open it,” Kraus said. “There will also be a contest for students to name the food court.”
The contest will allow students to change the name of the food court with the vendor, according to Kraus. He did not specify how the contest will take place or when the contest will occur.
The vendor, Lovebirds Cafe and Bakery, has signed a nine month contract with Pierce but there has been no mention of a long term vendor.
The cafe will begin its hiring process Monday, March 3 as previously reported by the Roundup.
In addition to the announcement of the long awaited opening date in regard to the food court, the PCC discussed safety concerns on campus.
Kraus addressed the issue of the blue phones which are placed around campus so that students can utilize them in case of an emergency to reach the campus Sheriff’s office directly.
The problem is that many of the emergency phones do not work. These particular blue lights have a “bandage” on them to indicate that they are not functioning properly, according to Kraus.
The phones in parking lot seven do not work because of an “underground communication issue,” Kraus said. There is no specific date as to when the blue phones will be fixed, but there are plans in place to move forward.
Many board members raised a concern that students do not know which number to call in case of an emergency.
Kraus reminded the board members that Pierce has its own direct line to the campus police, who can immediately respond to emergencies on campus.
“The emergency number on campus is 4311. Students can dial it from their cell phones if the blue lights are not working,” Chair of the PCC Lyn Clark said. “Students need to know this number.”
The emergency telephone number Clark is referring to is, 818-710-4311, which connects to the campus sheriff.
The PCC is actively discussing ways to improve safety and security on campus, according to Kraus.
“We definitely care about student safety. At the end of the day, we want students to go home happy and healthy,” Academic Senate President Kathy Oborn said.